The box was half opened, and at the center of the box sat the finely-crafted diamond ring—a possession Chloe’s mother had brought with her from her family's home.Chloe smiled but said nothing, unsurprised by Ava's actions.'Does she really think she'll get me to let her go just by returning this one item to me? How absurd.'When her mother passed away, Chloe had been young. She could not remember how much her mother had bequeathed her in the will. The exact amount had not been specified in the contract, and she had always felt that something was amiss.But being young at the time, she could not fully grasp the significance of the situation. Now, however, she was aware that her money had been completely taken from her, and she was convinced that it was worth much more than what Ava was offering her."What? You want more?" Ava sneered, feeling disgusted by Chloe's insatiable greed.Chloe's expression darkened as she spoke her next words clearly, "Of course, I want more. All of thi
Chloe stared at Jake's furious face, her eyelids twitching with a tremendous sense of pleasure.Instead of answering immediately, she casually tucked the strands of hair falling on her forehead behind her ear and grinned arrogantly. "You already know, huh?"As she had suspected, Joseph must have learned about her past relationship with Jake when he saved her from miles away that day. She just could not understand why he had not mentioned it.Chloe felt an indescribable itch in her heart. The result was much better than she had anticipated."How shameless can you be?!" Jake's chest hurt with anger. Unable to control his emotions, his voice was loud, and the guests around them gave him strange looks."Why are you shouting at me for no reason?" Chloe said, looking innocent like a harmless little rabbit.The crowd did not understand the situation, but some recognized her."Hey, isn't that Benjamin’s youngest?""Benjamin has two daughters? I always thought Ava was his only daughter.
Icarus pondered for a moment before saying solemnly, "Not yet, Chloe. Someday, maybe, but not now."Yesterday, he had learned many things, including how the Johnsons had treated her in the past. He had visited her at the hospital because he did not have the courage to tell her that he was Jake's uncle.He worried that his relationship with Jake would push Chloe away from him. He had no intention to come to the engagement party today, but while he was at lunch today, he figured that Chloe might come so he came to check on her. To his surprise, she really was here.Chloe could not quite understand his concern. She shrugged indifferently and said, "It's okay. Whatever relationship I had with the Johnsons and Jake is in the past. You don't have to worry."Furthermore, Icarus and Chloe were simply friends. Even if Icarus was related to Jake, it would not matter as they simply would not have any further contact in the future. What she was unaware of was that the more she acted indifferen
All of the guests looked at Ava and Jake in confusion.The couple’s faces turned bright red in embarrassment."Turn it off now!" Benjamin roared at the emcee.The emcee realized that something was wrong and immediately notified the staff to turn off the big screen.The next second, a short burst of noise came from the speakers lining the hall, and the sounds of Ava crying started playing, "Coco, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I love Jake too much. Please don't blame him.""Ava, don't say such silly things. It's not your fault. I just couldn't control myself and wanted you. Now that it's out in the open, it's actually better. I wanted to break up with Coco long ago, but she’s been too busy with work and I never had a chance to explain to her. You're more suitable for me, Ava.""Oh, my God…"The crowd was in an uproar, and chaos ensued. "Seriously? Chloe and Jake used to be a couple?""Holy moly, he's amazing. He made both Benjamin's daughters his girlfriends!""It's Ava who snatch
Chloe was stunned and immediately turned around.However, she saw no trace of Joseph. Instead, she spotted Icarus. She patted her chest and let out a long sigh of relief. "You must be seeing things. You scared me!""I wasn't seeing things," Emily insisted, but in the next second, Icarus vanished before she could point him out. She began to doubt herself. "Could I really be seeing things?""Of course. You've been running back and forth between the hospital and the office while also making time for your boyfriend. It's normal to experience some eye impairment," Chloe said with a smile. "Once I finish up what I'm working on, I'll treat you well.""Are you sure Jake's uncle wasn’t here today?" Emily asked, her face stern.After dropping Chloe off at the hotel, Emily went to meet up with her boyfriend. Upon her return, Emily scanned the table where Jake's older relatives were sitting but did not spot Icarus."Nope. I'm sure he didn't come today. Today was his grandfather's check-up da
Samuel's eyes widened in shock."What?! You should've told me earlier! I wouldn't have asked her to pay me lawyer fees then!" he exclaimed."Lawyer fees?" Joseph’s eyes narrowed. "She approached you already?"He had returned from his overseas business trip earlier than planned and a lot of things were piling up on his plate. He had planned to finish everything and then inform Samuel about Chloe's situation. He even intended to pay for the legal fees, but he had not expected her to be so impatient and approach Samuel herself."She called me yesterday. If I knew she's your wife, I wouldn't have asked for the fee," Samuel explained."Help her with the lawsuit. I'll have my assistant pay you."After regaining from his shock, Nathan looked at Joseph and teased him, "One second, you told me you couldn't stand her, and the next, you married her behind our backs. This isn't like you at all, Joe."It seemed that Chloe''s beauty and her ability to captivate men were exceptional. Otherwise
"Oh, please. You think too highly of yourself. You guys are pieces of sh*t," taunted Chloe."What exactly do you want?" Jake asked, his eyes becoming bloodshot and his once impeccable suit was now crumpled and disordered. It was evident that his engagement party with Ava had not gone as planned."I want the assets that my mother left behind for me.""Haven't you already gotten it?" Jake sneered."When did I take it?"Jake thought she was lying and jeered, "I saw Ava give you that box with my own eyes."He thought that Chloe just wanted a share of the Johnsons' fortune. What was she pretending for? He could not think of any other reason for her repeated troublemaking.Chloe was taken aback for a moment. "Do you think that's the only thing my mother left me?""Yes.""Please use your brain," Chloe replied, "Was Ava really returning my things to me? No, she was humiliating me! And only a fool like you would believe her."Jake furrowed his brow. "Then what else did Ava not give yo
Their gazes met, and Joseph noticed that she had lost some weight after being hospitalized for a few days."By the way, Mr. Samuel told me today that I don't have to pay for his service. Did you help me pay for it?""Yeah."A mix of emotions ran through Chloe after she heard the answer. She fidgeted and said embarrassingly, "It's too much. I can't pay you back. Please tell Mr. Samuel not to bother. I'll find a cheaper lawyer myself.""You don't have to pay me back.""No. Your money didn't fall from the sky. You've already spent so much money on me, and I can't pay back the 1,200,000 dollars anytime soon. It may take me years, maybe even a lifetime," Chloe said.Gratitude was the hardest thing to repay. She wanted to become his wife, not an emotionless money-making machine.Joseph stared at her, and after a moment, his thin lips curved into a small smile. "If you become the director of Baxon within three years and the regional general manager within five, although it may still be
After Chloe calmed herself, she realized that the place she was in resembled the villa she lived in while overseas five years ago. However, upon closer inspection, the exterior scenery was different. She realized something and froze."Did you build a villa identical to the one I stayed in five years ago?" she asked.Noah was busy bandaging himself. Upon hearing her question, he replied, "Yeah, doesn't it look almost identical?"Chloe's gaze swept over every item in the room, and she admitted that she was touched. She turned back to Noah and looked at him gently as if she had returned to the time when she simply treated him as a little brother."How did you convince Tiffany to cooperate with you?"Tiffany had made her move while Noah distracted Desmond."I just told her about it, and she agreed."Chloe asked, "Do you think you’re treating her fairly?"Noah said flatly, "I’ll compensate her."Compensate? How? Chloe thought that youth was the most precious thing in the world, but
In the Whitman family home, Joseph went to deal with a bunch of urgent company matters after putting Jasper to sleep. By the time he finished, it was already past three in the morning. He contemplated calling Chloe to ask about Noah's situation, but thinking it might disrupt her sleep, he abandoned the idea.When Joseph woke up the next day, it was already half past six. He recalled Chloe mentioning that Exotic Star had a new product launching today and that she would have to wake up early. He reached for his phone on the table, intending to call her.However, his hand slipped and the phone fell to the floor. The loud thud caused his heart to tremble. He stared at the shattered phone screen as he got a bad feeling. He grabbed his spare phone and quickly dialed Chloe's number. After ringing for some time, a cold, mechanical voice informed him that there was no one available to answer at the moment. Without hesitation, he immediately headed to the Sullivan Manor. When Joseph got ther
“Yes, Grandpa, and I hope you won't stop me when the time comes," Noah said. "You're not discussing this with me. You're just informing me!" Desmond said exasperatedly. "I'm sorry, Grandpa.”Desmond hemmed and hawed for a long while, at a loss for words. He seemed to age ten years as he stared into the distance through the window. After a while, he said, "I've already had someone contact doctors abroad regarding your condition, so don't worry. All you have to do now is just focus on recovering. Don't give up so soon."Sensing Desmond's determination, Noah's eyes filled with tears. He too wished to spend a few more years with his grandfather.When they arrived at the Sullivan manor, the foreign doctors had replied. Upon learning that the renowned healer, Z, had treated Noah but only achieved limited success, they decided not to intervene.Noah was not discouraged by this. He comforted Desmond and said, "Grandpa, I would like to go abroad for a few days. It's been a long time sin
Half an hour later, Desmond and Noah walked out of the ward together.Desmond said, "The doctor told you to stay in the hospital for a few more days, so why don't you just listen? If something happens to you again, they can treat you immediately."Noah smiled warmly and said, "It's okay. The medical equipment at home is sufficient."Desmond sighed. It would be good if Noah stayed at home as well. At least there would be more pairs of eyes on him.Desmond instructed the driver to come to the hospital’s basement car park. When he hung up the phone, he looked around the corridor and wondered, "Wasn't Chloe just sitting here? Where is she?"Noah did not say anything and just lowered his head."And where's Tiffany too? Call her. We need to go home," Desmond said as he took his phone out to call Chloe.However, Chloe did not answer his call. Noah did not call Tiffany. Instead, he said, "Her brother had something to discuss with her, so he came by and brought her home. Maybe Chloe ha
Chloe looked at Tiffany and said sarcastically, "Not everyone is willing to contribute their entire life knowing that the other person doesn't like them."Tiffany had a heart problem. She might die at any moment, yet she chose to live around someone who did not love her back. Chloe often marveled at the greatness of love, but she would never possess such a sacrificial spirit.Tiffany laughed coldly. "It’s because I have compassion and you don't. When Xavia died before your eyes, you just coldly stared at her body."Chloe raised her head sharply, glared at Tiffany, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Xavia took my child, stole my man, and wrecked my marriage! She nearly got me killed several times! If she hadn’t died, it might have been me! I should've celebrated her death with fireworks! None of you know what I've been through, so stop pointing fingers at me!"At first, she had felt responsible for Xavia's death, but she had since come to her senses. Xavia's death had nothing to
Desmond was taken aback that he even forgot his cane and almost tripped on the carpet. He quickly got back up and headed for the second floor. The butler immediately called for an ambulance while the other housekeepers guided the panicked guests away.Chloe furrowed her brows, following Desmond into Noah's bedroom. The curtains were drawn tightly, blocking out all light. But just standing at the door, one could detect the strong scent of rust from inside.A helper flipped a switch, and the room was flooded with light. The wooden furniture was neatly arranged while neatly folded clothes sat on the sofa.Chloe looked around but did not see Noah. She then looked toward the bathroom and her face sank.Tiffany pointed to the bathroom and said, "He's in there."Desmond trembled as he pushed open the bathroom door. Inside was a mess, with red stains covering the floor. Noah was in the bathtub, his wet clothes clinging to his body. His arms hung limply over the tub's edge, and his head sl
Chloe did not know how to answer."Say something. You wanted her dead, right? Are you happy now that she is dead?!” Kenneth shouted angrily at her, his eyes bloodshot and his gaze piercing.He was so loud that it drew the attention of many nearby. Callum and Joseph rushed over, and Joseph shielded Chloe behind him. He pushed Kenneth back several steps and said sternly, "Never speak of that woman in front of Chloe again. Otherwise, there'll be consequences!""Hah! Are you protecting a murderer?" Kenneth laughed. "Oh yeah, you’re both responsible for Xavia's death after all."Smack!Callum slapped Kenneth across the face, instantly silencing him. "Get a grip, Ken! Xavia deserved to die. Stop embarrassing yourself in front of Chloe.”Kenneth held his face as he muttered, "Yeah, you're right… Xavia should’ve died. She was evil. She deceived and took advantage of me… She should die..."Then why was he so tormented over her death? He could not sleep or eat. He knew Xavia deserved th
Joseph frowned. "Of course not. Her death has nothing to do with you. Promise me you won’t think such thoughts."The unexpected turn of events caught both Chloe and him off guard. Xavia clearly wanted to haunt Chloe forever by killing herself in front of her. Although he felt shocked, he was not deeply shaken. After all, he had not witnessed Xavia's jump, and Xavia probably thought that the third floor was not enough to kill her. After all, being in the hospital for treatment was better than being detained by the police.Chloe looked at Joseph with vacant eyes and smiled bitterly. "You're right. It’s good that she's finally dead. She got what she deserved, and I should be happy," she said."Exactly. Even if she didn't jump, the police would’ve arrested her," Joseph said gently, "It's my fault for asking you to buy us some time. If she comes back as a ghost to haunt you, I'll stop her."Joseph, Tyson, and a few officers had arrived just moments after Xavia jumped. He had brought a g
Everyone erupted into gasps. As a deafening crash came from below, the staff scattered. Some ran downstairs to try and rescue Iris. Some who had rushed to the windows shouted anxiously, "She's still alive!"Everyone around Chloe was running as her mind was filled with an endless ringing. The whole world became a blur. She never imagined that things would end like this. The meeting hall was on the third floor. It was not too high, but it could be fatal if one were to land on their head. Everyone's accusatory gaze fell on Chloe, and the crowd started to murmur."Damn, how could she do this to Iris? Do you think she’ll be haunted by nightmares tonight?""Yeah, why does she insist that Iris is Xavia?""What if Iris dies? Won’t Ms. Chloe indirectly become a murderer?""Do you think Iris will come for revenge in the middle of the night when she dies?"Something inside Chloe snapped, and she shouted, "It wasn't me! What she did has nothing to do with me!"Her outburst silenced the ro